Phil Spector

Gabriel Bouys/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Updated: May 29, 2009

Phil Spector is a record producer whose early-1960's songs created a style dubbed the "wall of sound" that blended multilayered orchestral arrangements with guitars and drums. He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. In 2004, he was charged with murder in the 2003 death of Lana Clarkson, an actress who had been found dead in Mr. Spector's home of what he said was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A trial that began in 2006 ended in a mistrial; a second trial in the case began in October 2008.

On April 13, 2009, he was found guilty of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 19 years to life in prison on May 29, 2009.

A multimillionaire in his early 20's, Mr. Spector produced records for Elvis Presley, Ike and Tina Turner, Connie Francis and Darlene Love. From 1962 to 1965, his "wall of sound" produced two dozen hits including ''Da Doo Ron Ron'' by the Crystals, ''Walking in the Rain'' by the Ronettes and ''You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' '' by the Righteous Brothers.

Later, he produced parts of the last Beatles album, ''Let It Be,'' and worked with John Lennon on ''Imagine.'' His last major album was ''End of the Century,'' a 1980 collaboration with the Ramones.

Mr. Spector has been embroiled in several lawsuits concerning royalties he may have owed to artists who performed some of his biggest hits. Among those suing Mr. Spector over royalties is his second wife, Ronnie Spector, now known as Ronnie Greenfield, the lead singer of the Ronettes, whom he divorced in 1974.

Mr. Spector is renowned for reclusive and erratic behavior, including flamboyant, sometimes drunken displays and a longtime fascination with firearms. In recent years, he has insisted that those days are behind him.

Stories of high living and gun-waving swirled around Mr. Spector in the 1970's. He traveled with a retinue of bodyguards and sometimes became aggressive with friends and strangers. There were whispers that he was abusive to those around him.

In September 2004, Mr. Spector was charged with the murder of Ms. Clarkson. She was found dead in his Alhambra home in February 2003 slumped in a chair in the foyer with a gunshot wound to the mouth. Prosecutors say he killed her when she rejected his overtures; Mr. Spector's lawyers have argued that forensic evidence suggests the wound was self-inflicted.

Mr. Spector's first trial appeared headed for the annals of big celebrity trials in Los Angeles, with dozens of reporters, many from overseas, attending. But interest faded as the proceedings wore on for five months and ended in a jury split 10 to 2 in favor of conviction.

The retrial began in October 2008. It was delayed as Mr. Spector brought in a new legal team and they and prosecutors engaged in haggling over evidence.

{"type":"article","show_header_text":false,"header":"ARTICLES ABOUT PHIL SPECTOR","query":"(per=\"SPECTOR, PHIL\") and tom!=\"Caption\" and tom!=\"Correction\" and tom!=\"List\" and tom!=\"Paid Death Notice\" and dsk!=\"Society\"","search_query":"(persons:\"SPECTOR, PHIL\") AND -type_of_material:\"Caption\" AND -type_of_material:\"Correction\" AND -type_of_material:\"List\" AND -type_of_material:\"Paid Death Notice\" AND -news_desk:\"Society\"","num_search_articles":"15","show_summary":true,"show_byline":true,"show_pub_date":true,"hide_thumbnails":false,"show_kicker":false,"show_title":false,"show_related_topics":true,"show_rad_links":true,"show_subtopics":true,"exclude_topics":"SPECTOR, PHIL","exclude":["","","",""],"more_on_header":"MORE ON PHIL SPECTOR AND:","alternate_index_subidx":"","show_thumbnails":true}

July 27, 2012, Friday

A California appeals court has turned down an appeal by Phil Spector to have his murder conviction overturned and rejected the argument that other women who said he had threatened them with guns should not have been allowed to testify in the case,...

May 3, 2011, Tuesday

LOS ANGELES - It's not quite a monster movie, but it has some of the same elements: an outsize character, a mysterious death, plenty of metaphor for mankind's destruction. And lots and lots of excessively teased hair. HBO Films has decided to...